The United Republic of Tanzania

Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority

Information Center

An information center for the Northern circuit is located along Boma Road in downtown Arusha.The Center provides detailed information on tourist attractions, facilities and activities available in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Most safaris depart from Arusha town and the information center is a must for visitors. Internet facilities are available. Promotional publications, wildlife books, cards, audiocassettes and CD are also available.

Liaison Office:

Boma Road,

email: cn.ncaa.go.tz

Loduare Gate

There is a display room depicting the dramatic ecology, ethnography and topography of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area at Loduare Gate, the main entry gate to the NCA. There is a free wifi at Loduare Main Entrance gate.

Museum

Olduvai Gorge museum is a fascinating journey back in time to the very beginning of mankind. Realistic copies of the most important discoveries can be viewed with ease and after an interesting lecture on the work which has been carried out by scientists, guided tours of the sites can be taken with experienced NCA guides.

Accommodation

Visitors to Ngorongoro can stay in luxury lodges, Simba A public campsite, community campsites, special campsites and permanent tented lodges within Ngorongoro. Camping is permitted at the designated sites such as Ngorongoro crater rim, Ndutu, Lemala and Empakaai crater rim. Camping fees must be paid for 24 hrs periods. It is best to make booking for established campsites well in advance as they are very popular! There are four lodges situated on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater namely; & Beyond Ngorongoro, Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge, Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge and Ngorongoro Serena Lodge. Others are Ngorongoro Rhino Lodge, Ndutu Lodge, Oldupai Tented lodge, Tanganyika wilderness camp, Highland camp and Esidai Community Lodge. In addition, outside the NCA in the nearby town of Karatu there are guest houses, lodges, inns and campsites which are more variable in the facilities they provide. We have included a link on our website which has a handful of reputable tour operators and hoteliers who can help you make the most of your safari in Ngorongoro and indeed in Tanzania

Getting to Tanzania

The international airport nearest to Ngorongoro Conservation Area is the Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA), which is roughly midway between the towns of Arusha and Moshi, about 50km from each, in northern Tanzania.

There are several international airlines that fly to Kilimanjaro, some of them daily. The airlines serving Kilimanjaro International Airport include Air Tanzania, Qatar Airways, Precision Air, Emirates, Turkish Airways, Kenya Airways, Condor Air, Ethiopian Airlines, KLM and Rwandair. Charter planes, taxis and airport shuttle buses are available at Kilimanjaro International Airport.

It is also possible to come to Tanzania through Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s major international airport, and then travel to Ngorongoro by air or by surface transport. Some international flights stop at both Dar es Salaam and at Kilimanjaro and allow passengers to enter Tanzania at one airport and then leave by the other.

Foreigners seeking to enter Tanzania should be in possession of a valid passport or a pass. The passport or pass must be presented to the Immigration Control Office at any entry point – border station, airport and harbour.

All foreigners are also required to have a valid visa unless their countries have agreements with Tanzania under which the visa requirement is waived. Visas can be provided at any Tanzania mission abroad, or on arrival at all major points of entry.

CLIMATE

There is much variation in climate within Ngorongoro Conservation Area, mainly because of the altitude differences. There is a dry season from June to October and a wet season from November to May. The dry season holds its own beauty due to the fact that animals are concentrated along permanent water sources. The wet season is divided into the “short rain” (Nov-Dec) and the “long rains” (Feb- May). It is often cloudy on the highlands and in summer it rains almost every day. Game viewing and the scenery during rainy season is superb as most animals congregate on the short grass plains.

Temperature

Temperatures in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area vary from 3c to 35c. Frost occurs on the highest mountain tops and temperatures are always lower along the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater than on its floor and sometimes the night time temperatures are usually cold and can approach freezing point in the dry season, so be prepared! The coldest months are from June to August.

Map and Guide